KEOSAUQUA, IOWA -- The Parents as Teachers program operated by the Van Buren County Hospital received its certification today from the Iowa Department of Management.
The certificate is the result of almost three years' hard work of the program's directors and coordinators.
"It is quite a lengthy process, we have to meet 32 standards and there's a lot of subsections under that for the state of Iowa to be credentialed as a home visitation program," program director Janet Phelps said. "The state provides us a mentor and we received a five year credential certificate."
The Parents as Teachers program is one that began in Missouri. It is a home visitation program that offers parents the tools they need to foster their child's development.
"We go into the home, and we educate the parents of children 0-5 years of age," Phelps said. "We speak on their child's developmental stages, the activities that they do and provide information and support to the family."
The program at Van Buren County Hospital is the eleventh program in the state to receive certification. They will provide services to about 150 families.
The program receives funding from Children First, an early childhood program that covers Van Buren county.